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Abstract

Language differences present a significant challenge in health systems’ efforts to mitigate health disparities within the United States. Access to healthcare resources is severely strained for individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). LEP individuals are less likely to partake in screening procedures, vaccinations, and other preventive interventions due to the language gap between themselves and medical providers (Ortega et al., 2021). In turn, the lack of preventative health services causes LEP individuals to have worse health outcomes, such as experiencing higher rates of chronic diseases, depression, hospitalizations, and poorer physical health compared to English-proficient counterparts (Haldar et al., 2023; Twersky et al., 2024). This capstone paper assesses the language access services, such as interpreters and translators, provided by PACE-Rhode Island (PACE-RI), a not-for-profit health plan for adults aged 55 and older within Rhode Island. The objectives were to assess whether the language access services of PACE-RI (1.) comply with language access regulations, (2.) adhere to practices under the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards, and (3.) recommend opportunities to improve language services at PACE-RI that are aligned with best practices. The methods used included phone and video call interviews with PACE-RI personnel to assess current language access services, followed by phone interviews with Day Center Supervisors from two external PACE organizations, On Lok PACE and Fallon Health Summit Elder Care. After the interviews, a gap analysis was conducted to compare PACE-RI’s language service practices to language access regulations and to compare the language service practices of the two external PACE organizations under the CLAS standards. The gap analysis findings indicate that PACE-RI complies with language access regulations and has an inventory of language access services. However, improvements are needed to fully align with CLAS standards. The findings suggest that PACE-RI should consistently utilize trained language access professionals for all medical appointments and services and develop performance indicators to evaluate the quality of their language access services.

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